Brotherly Bond
by Frodo's-Girl92
Summary: Frodo Baggins babysits infant Pippin Took


**PLEASE NOTE: I do not own ANY of the following material. The places, events, characters, names, titles, etc. belong to their proper owners, and they get full credit. Events are fictional. Names that resemble any other individual, living or dead, is purely coincidental. **

**Any and ALL content pertaining to the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson, and any other holders of the rights. All rights reserved to them and them only. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! **

Frodo Baggins was sitting at Bag End, reading a book. His uncle Bilbo had to leave to take care of a few things and wouldn't be back for awhile, so Frodo had Bag End to himself. He was feeling increasingly tired and thought a nap would be in his near future.

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Frodo put his book down and walked over to the door, wondering who could be dropping by. He opened the door and saw Eglantine Took standing there with her baby son, Peregrin.

"Frodo," Eglantine said. "Is Bilbo here? He said he would watch little Pippin here since I didn't have anyone else to watch him today. Everyone seems to be busy and preoccupied on this day, and Pippin likes him quite a lot."

Frodo smiled. "I'm sorry, he isn't here."

"Darn," Eglantine said, sighing sadly. "Well, thank you, Frodo."

"Wait!" Frodo said as Eglantine was walking away. "Perhaps I could watch him?"

"Oh, would you?" Eglantine said, her eyes lighting up. "Thank you, Frodo! I will not be gone for too long, I promise! Paladin and I are going to this event, see. We have been looking forward to it for awhile."

"It is no problem at all," Frodo said.

"He's a pretty obnoxious little hobbit," Eglantine said with a loving, motherly smile at Pippin. "He shouldn't be too much trouble, but I packed a few of his favorite toys, just in case. Those will keep him occupied."

Frodo smiled. "Alright. Have fun, and do not worry about returning in a hurry. I'll watch him for as long as you need."

Pippin, now fully aware that Frodo was present, began to cackle. Frodo had only met Pippin twice before now, and each time the baby seemed to take quite a liking to Frodo. Eglantine and Frodo both smiled, and Eglantine handed Pippin to Frodo. She also handed him Pippin's basket of toys and some milk. She gave Frodo instructions on how to heat the milk if it was needed, and, with a motherly kiss on Pippin's cheek, Eglantine set on her way.

"Well," Frodo said, walking back into Bag End and closing the door, "what shall we get into, Pippin?"

Pippin was only just a little over a year old, and he hadn't spoken yet. Frodo remembered overhearing his cousin, Merry Brandybuck, speaking of that. Merry was very close with Pippin, despite Pippin still being an infant. However, Pippin was able to walk, and, when Frodo put him down, he realized just how much he loved walking and running.

"Be careful," Frodo said, then realized that the baby wouldn't understand what he was saying. So, he walked over to the running baby and picked him up again. Pippin began to cry, and Frodo hugged Pippin, soothing him. "Shh. It's alright, little Pippin. Why don't we play with some of your toys?"

Pippin apparently knew what the word 'toys' meant. He stopped crying immediately and began to laugh, making little babbling, screeching noises. Frodo smiled and put the child on the ground, where Pippin ran over to the basket and began pulling out some of his toys and handing them to Frodo.

"Bee!" Pippin screamed happily as he handed Frodo his teddy bear. "Bee-bee-bee-bee-bee!"

"It's a beautiful bee," Frodo said, smiling. "Thank you."

"Bee!" Pippin said again. "I bee!"

"You're right," Frodo said. "It is your bee."

"Ba," Pippin said, setting block after block on the floor. "Ba?"

"I'm going to build you something," Frodo said as Pippin gathered more toys out of his basket. He wasn't listening to Frodo.

Frodo took Pippin's blocks and began building a house as best as he could with blocks. When it was finished, Pippin finally turned his attention back to Frodo and his blocks. Pippin laughed happily when he saw the house, and waddled over to Frodo, giving him a hug.

"Thank you," Frodo said, returning the child's embrace. "Do you like it?"

"Ba!" Pippin screamed. "F-Fodo ba!"

"Did-did you just say my name?" Frodo asked, shocked. "You did, didn't you?"

"Fodo!" Pippin screamed shrilly, pointing at Frodo. "FODO!"

Frodo couldn't help but grin and hug the baby. Pippin was laughing merrily as Frodo hugged him, and when their embrace ended, Pippin took his teddy bear and waddled over to his blocks. He was babbling to himself as he made the bear walk, and then he took the bear and slung it into the block-house, knocking it down. He looked at Frodo, and with a mischievous grin on his face, said, "Oh-oh!"

Frodo laughed a little. "We can build another one later. Would you like me to read you a story?"

"Ta!" Pippin cried, running over to Frodo and leaping into his arms. "Ta!"

Frodo picked Pippin up and carried him over to a chair in front of the fire. Frodo picked up the book that he had been reading before and placed Pippin in his lap as he sat. He opened the book and began to read to Pippin, who would occasionally try and grab the pages and turn them himself. Frodo told him that he could turn the pages when Frodo was done reading them, and Pippin did so when Frodo told him he could.

After story time was over, Frodo and Pippin played a little more. Pippin was quite curious and he tried to get into absolutely everything he came across, but Frodo watched him closely and would tell him he wasn't allowed into those things. Pippin would only laugh and babble every time.

After a little while, though, Pippin grew drowsy and fell asleep as he and Frodo were building things with his blocks. Frodo picked up the sleeping child as gently as he could and took him into Frodo's room, laying him on the bed. He covered him up a little with the blankets and would occasionally drop in to check on him.

Pippin slept until his mother came to pick him up. When he awoke to his mother taking him home, Pippin reached out to Frodo and he had a sad look on his face. Frodo smiled and walked over, taking Pippin into his arms and giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Pippin cackled, then said, "BEE! FODO BEE!"

Pippin was pointing at the basket of his toys. Eglantine smiled and handed Pippin the bear, but Pippin only held it out toward Frodo. Frodo, not knowing what Pippin wanted, only said, "Yes, that's your bear."

"FODO BEE!" Pippin said, his tiny eyebrows creasing in frustration as he thrust the bear closer to Frodo. "Fodo bee!"

"I think he wants you to have his bear," Eglantine said.

Frodo walked over and took the bear from the child's outstretched hands. When Frodo took it, Pippin laughed merrily and said, "Fodo bee!" over and over again. Eglantine thanked Frodo for watching the baby, and she told Frodo that he could come around and visit any time. Frodo told her he would have to take her up on that, because he felt a brotherly bond with Pippin already. He barely knew the child, and he already felt a brotherly bond with him.

When Eglantine and Pippin left, Frodo took the bear that Pippin had given him and placed it on his desk in his room. He wanted to keep it safe for when Pippin visited again.


End file.
